Martin Marietta Materials is one step closer to doubling its granite production in Minnesota.

During a meeting Tuesday night, the Waite Park Planning Commission in Waite Park, Minnesota, decided to recommend the City Council amend the conditional use permits for two of Martin Marietta’s quarries, the Saint Cloud Times reports.

The company wants to double its granite production at its Rainbow Quarry and its North Quarry.

Martin Marietta’s current permit limits production to 1.8 million tons of salable product annually; the company wants to increase that amount to 3.6 million tons.

At Tuesday night’s meeting, residents raised concerns about blasting, asking whether the number of blasts would increase.

Neil Grant, land and zoning manager for the Midwest division of Martin Marietta, said the company is not asking to change the number of blasts, which is limited to one blast sequence — two blasts — per quarry per day.

Martin Marietta wants the permit to be modified to clarify that signature hole shots, which the company uses to collect vibration readings, will not be included as a blast.

The company also wants to include an amendment that would allow Rainbow Quarry to stockpile product before it is sent to North Quarry and another that would allow Rainbow Quarry to stockpile black dirt.

The Saint Cloud Times report notes that Martin Marietta’s proposal does NOT request a change in: